A part of the last generation to have direct contact with predominantly Gullah speaking individuals, South Carolina Gulla Geechee storyteller Theresa Jenkins Hilliard speaks of her personal firsthand account of growing up in a Gullah community.

Here, Hilliard recounts her upbringing on Edisto Island, the injustices faced by the enslaved Gullah Africans and their descendents, as well as the disappearance of the Gullah language and traditions, and the importance of African-Americans reconnecting with with their Gullah and African roots. All whilst flawlessly switching between Gullah and common English.

The Gullah Geechee people are descendants of West African enslaved people brought to the coasts of the Carolinas, Georgia, and northern Florida, whose geographic isolation helped them retain a distinct culture and language.

“We have to let our young people know about the struggle, we have to go all the way back to Africa where it all began so that they know whose back they’re standing on.” - Theresa Jenkins Hilliard